Radiator core construction



June 27, 1939. c BOOTH 2,164,005

RADIATOR CORE CONSTRUCTIO N Filed April 1, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I LJ I 18 INVENTOR. y 14 437g; C, 5007',

ATTORNEY)- June 27, 1939. I 5, 3. BO H 2,164,005

RADIATOR CO RE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 1, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR. A5509; 0500 TH,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 27, 1939 UNITED STATES mmroa ooanoous'muc'rlon can 0. Booth, Columbus, Ind., assignor to Noblitt- Sparks poratlon of' Indiana Industries, Inc., Columbus, ImL, a cor- Applicatio'n April 1,1937, Serial No. 134,267

7 Claims. (01.251-130 My invention relates to radiator cores, and especially'to cores suitable for use in automobilebody heaters of the circulating fluid type. It is the object of my invention to produce a core 8 which willhave advantages over prior cores in the way of lightness'of weight and economy of manufacture. Another object of my invention is to produce a core that will be made up of relatively few parts which can be easily assembled at low cost. 1

Incarrying out my invention I form the body of the core. with a plurality of fluid-passages comprising generally parallel stretches of what is, in effect, a continuous tube repeatedly" bent back on itself at intervals. This tube may be and preferably is formed in its entirety of two sheet-metal stampings each of which comprises a strip of sheet metal of channel-section so shaped that it will nest with the other to form the continuous, retroverted tube. In one modi-' flcation of my invention the ends'of the tube formed by the two stampings are adapted for connection respectively to supply and discharge conduits; but in another modification headers 55 are employed at the ends ofthe core body and, at the closed end of each loop of the tube, the outer wall thereof is provided with an opening communicating with the adjacentheader. If desired, there are interposed between the parallel stretches of the tube aseries of flns, each fln conveniently being a strip of sheetmetal bent into a zig-zag form and secured to the walls of the liquid passages, as by soldering.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Fig. l is an elevationof the core with parts thereof broken away; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmental top plan'view of the core with a portion of the tank removed; Fig. 4 is a vertical section illustrating the two parts of the core in process of being assembled; Fig. 5 isv a fragmental isometric view of the core; and Fig. 6 is a vertical section through an automobile-body heater with my improved core in place therein. In the modification of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the body of the core is formed of two similar sheet-metal stampings A and B (Fig. 4). Each of these stampings is, in eflect, a continuous strip of channel-section having a series of pairs ofright-angle bends to provide "a plurality of parallel legs 'or stretches '10. Adjacent legs ill of the stamping are interconnected by connecting legs H or I2, the legs ll being all 'located; in one face of the stamping with the-channel opening'outwardly and the legs I2 being located in the opposite face of the I stamping with the channel opening inwardly. In both stampings, the legs iii are evenly'spaced I so that the two stampings can be brought into nesting relationship. In Fig. 4, the two stampings are illustrated as they arein process 'of being moved together, while Fig. 1- illustrates the stampings completely nested to form the body of the-core, with the connecting legs ll of one stamping-abutting against the connecting 1.0" legs I2 of the other and with'the opposedchannels of the two stampings forming an elongated cavity, continuous from one corner of the core to the diagonally opposite corner.

The channel formed in the strip constituting 15 'each of thestampings terminates 'at one end-of the strip midway of a leg l2, and at the other end of the strip midway of a leg H, so that the two stampings may be similar. Beyond the point at which the channel terminates, the strip 20 may continue for a short distance to form a flange l2 or H co-planar with the edges of the strip. If desired, each flange I! may be provided with an extension I! which is bent perpendicularly to parallel the adjacent leg I0, 25 for apurpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

At an intermediate point, each of the connecting legs I2 is provided with anopening the material at the edge of which is formed into an outwardly extending annular flange l5. Each stamping has associated with it an inner tankwall It provided with a series of openings positioned toregister with and receive the flanges l5 on the several legs l2 of the stamping. In the 5 preferred method of manufacture, the inner tank-wall I6 is assembled with the associated stamping A or B, and the edges of the flanges l5 are turned over against the opposite face of the inner tankwa1l. The joint thus formed is sealed, preferably by soldering.

The tank, .of which the inner wall l6 forms a part, may be constructed in any desired manner. I prefer to form each tank with a body portion it in the form of a sheet-metal stamping hav- 45 ing an open side adapted to be closed by the tank-wall It. To this end, the tank-wall It may be provided with a peripheral flange IQ of such dimensions that it will receive an outwardly turned flange 20 on the side walls of the tank 18. 5c After the inner tank-wall It has been assembled with its associated stamping A or B, the tank I8 is put in place, the flange I9 is turned over the flange 20, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the 'joint between the flanges sealed, as by soldering.

Each of the tanks i8 is provided with a connecting tube 22 by means of which the core can be connected into the cooling system of an automobile engine in the usual manner.

To strengthen the walls of the water passages extending between the two tanks, each leg in of each stamping may be offset inwardly along one or more longitudinal lines, as indicated at 25 in the drawings. The offset portions 25 are desirably co-planar with the edges of each leg I! so that in the assembly the offsets 25 of associated legs ill will abut against each other to prevent the walls of the liquid passages from collapsing inwardly. If desired, similar rein- Iorcements, indicated at 26, may be provided in the legs II and I2.

To aid in eifecting the transfer of heat from liquid flowing through the passages ill to the air which is blown through the core between such passages, the core may be provided with heatradiating fins. As indicated in the drawings, these fins take the form of a sheet-metal strip 28 bent into a zig-zag form so as to fit snugly between adjacent legs iii of each stamping. For the sake of appearance, the longitudinal stretches of each tin-forming strip may be displaced outwardly at its edges to seat against the edges of the material forming the legs ID of the core. The flange extensions ii, if provided, overlie the ilns 28 at the sides of the core, as is clear from Fig. and serve to protect such fins from injury.

In the process of manufacture, each of the stampings A and B is formed from flat stock. Each stamping is then assembled with its associated tank-wall l6, and the joints between the flanges l5 and tank-wall I6 are soldered. If desired, the tank can be completed by assembling the tank I8 and tank-wall it before the two parts of the core are brought together. Fig. 4 illustrates the two parts of the core in process of assembly. When completely assembled the legs ll of each stamping will engage the legs I! of the other, and the core is held assembled by dipping its faces into solder to solder together the edges of the several legs Ni, ii, and I2. The core thus formed provides a continuous fluid passage having longitudinal stretches each formed by a pair of opposed legs i0 and transverse stretches each formed by a pair of legs i I and II. The fins 28 may be put in place in association with each individual stamping either before or after the header-wall I6 is secured in place; or, if desired, they may be inserted in the assembled core. In any event, I prefer to have the fins in position when the faces of the core are dipped in solder, so that operation will then fix the fins in position as well as sealing together the edges of the stampings A and B.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated the core of Figs. 1 to 5 installed in an automobile-body heater. The heater illustrated comprises a casing 30 which encloses the core and which is provided in its front face with a main air discharge opening associated with which is an adjustable closure ii. In rear of the'core there is disposed a fan 32, conveniently driven by an electric motor 33, which operates to force air through the core. A portion of the air passing through the-core is collected by a baiiie 34 and directed rearwardly over the top of the core to a conduit 35 which may lead to a windshield defroster. By locating theflanges l5 nearer one face of the core than the other, and by using a tank It whose width is materially less than the total thickness of the core, it is possible to so arrange the parts that in the assembled heater the tank II will be located near the rear face of the core where it will not interfere with the flow of air collected by the baflle 34.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a radiator, two spaced headers and a core disposed between said headers, said core comprising a pair of retroverted interfltting metal strips having their edges sealed together and their adjacent faces provided with opposed channels defining a plurality of longitudinally extending fluid passages and a plurality of transverse fluid passages interconnecting said longitudinal passages, the adjacent walls of said transverse passages and of said headers being provided with registering openings affording communication between said headers and said core.

2. The-invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition that the material of said strips is formed into an outwardly extending annular flange surrounding the opening in the outer wall ofeach transverse passage, said flange extending through the associated header-wall opening and nally extending intermediate portion and later-- ally extending end portions projecting oppositely at each end of said intermediate portion, the adjacent walls of said end portions and of said headers being provided with registering openings affording communication between said headers and said passage.

4. In a radiator, two spaced headers and a core disposed between said headers, said core comprising a pair of mating metal strips bent complementarily along transverse lines, said strips having their edges sealed together and their adjacent faces provided with opposed channels defining a fluid-passage having a longitudinally extending portion and a laterally extending end portion, the adjacent wall of said end portion and of one of said headers being provided with registering openings affording communication between said header and said passage, the opposite end of said passage being connected to the other header.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4 with the addition that the outer wall of said end portion is provided with an annular flange surrounding the opening therein, said flange extending through the associated header-wall opening and being turned over against the inner surface of the header wall.

6. In a radiator, a pair of similar sub-assemblies, each comprising a header wall and a metal strip having spaced portions secured to one face of said header walland intermediate portions each of a general U-shape extending perpendicularly from said header wall, the outer face of said strip being provided with a continuous channel, the spaced portions of said strip and said header wall being provided with registering openings, said two sub-assemblies being disposed in opposed relation with theU-shaped stripportions of one interiitting with the U-shaped' strip-portions of the other and with the edges having a. plurality of generally parallel longituof the respective strips sealed together. dillll Btrfitches and It plurality of transverse 7. In a radiator, a .core comprising a pair of stretches connecting said longitudinal passages repeatedly retroverted interfltting metal strips in series, and fluid inlet and outlet fittings con- 5 having their edges sealed together and their ad nected to the ends of said P a e and to the 5 jacent faces provided with opposed channels detransverse stretches thereof. fining a continuous retroverted fluid passage EARL C. BOOTH. 

